Giving Voice to Siblings of Children with Visual Impairment

We present our qualitative study, which gave voice to 33 siblings of children with visual impairment in care at the Robert Hollman Foundation, a no-profit structure that offers free counselling services and developmental support for children with visual impairment and their families. The aim of this study focused on the siblings’ relationships with their brothers/sisters. Participants, aged seven to twenty-two, underwent individual semi-structured interviews, where they could speak freely about their feelings, daily life experiences and perspectives. Interviews were analyzed according to the Reflexive Thematic Analysis in the “the new sociology of childhood” framework, considering children as active actors of their lives. Mostly all the siblings reported to have a special connection with their brother/sister, characterized by unconditional love and willingness to help. They also showed different emotions, such as happiness and sadness, and described various feelings, such as empathy and sorrow. This study also emphasizes how the experience of being siblings of children with visual impairment shapes their attitudes and highlights several needs in some of the siblings.